"Balin, Halien and Bard are coming this way," Bilbo said, coming to the dwarf. "Should we tell Thorin?"

Balin looked up at him and sighed. "I don't know, Bilbo."

"I'll go speak with him." Dwalin offered. "Perhaps I can talk some sense into the lad."

Balin nodded and went to the wall, looking out over the plains as Bard and Halien approached.

'Balin, we need to speak with Thorin.' Halien sent to him.

'Dwalin is going to get him now, lass. Though I must warn you, he has not gotten better since you left.' Balin replied.

Halien pulled Torwen to a gentle halt as they neared the door that Thorin had instructed be fortified with the large stone debris that surrounded the keep's entrance. She looked up at the wall, seeing the worried faces of her friends, her kin, as they stared down at her and Bard, waiting.

'Bofur, where is Bilbo?' Halien called.

Bofur motioned for Bilbo to come over and Halien looked at the hobbit when he reached Bofur's side.

'Bilbo, do you still have it?' she asked.

Bilbo nodded, knowing that she was speaking of the Arkenstone. 'It's safe with me, Halien, don't you worry.'

'Do not let Thorin know you have it. I can sense him slipping further and further from us... He may begin to suspect that you- all of you- are betraying him, plotting against him. You seem to be the only one who can hold onto what's left of the Thorin we all know and if he finds out you have kept the Arkenstone from him, I fear he will do something horrible. Please, just be safe around him.'

Bilbo nodded and stepped aside as Thorin joined the others at the wall.

"What is it that the Dragonslayer and my traitorous wife want with me?" Thorin asked, glaring down smugly as he saw Halien next to Bard. "Why have you come to the mountain armed to the teeth for war?"

"Bard, I do not know if I can do this..." Halien said, ignoring the comment Thorin made.

Bard reached over and touched her hand. "Don't worry, I will handle this."

Halien nodded and looked up at her husband, barely recognizing him as the dragon sickness continued to strengthen its hold over him.

"We wish to discuss terms. Thranduil has brought his army to Dale and will attack the mountain if our arrangement is not met. He asks for what is rightfully his within the mountain- the jewels of starlight- and I only ask that you give Dale the aid and share of the mountain's wealth you promised us." Bard started, but stopped as Thorin scoffed.

"I will not part with a single gold coin," he said, smirking.

Halien couldn't believe her ears. "Thorin, we made a promise to the people of the Lake. You fought the dragon, but failed to kill it and it came to destroy Laketown. You promised them wealth and aid in rebuilding Dale. Bard killed the dragon, got his people out of the ruins of Laketown, and led them to Dale. All he asks is for what we- what you- promised him and his people."

"And what would you know of it?" Thorin retorted, glaring at her. "You betray me, take away my son, and gallivant away with this Man and you expect me to listen to anything you say?"

Halien ignored the pain in her chest as the man she loved again spat on everything they had together. Bard looked over at her, not sure what to say to her or Thorin.

"I have not betrayed you, Thorin. Bard and I have done nothing but try to start a new life for the people of the Lake, something you and I both promised to do when this was over. I am keeping my part of the promise by healing his people, caring for our son- who I only took away because I feared you would do something that we would all regret- and doing what I can to try to fix what you have done. I am your wife, your queen. I love you with all my heart and you know that. I know somewhere, deep down passed that sickness rising within you that you know I would never do anything to betray you. What I have done, what I am doing is all I can do to protect you and our son, to ensure that our people and the people of Dale are safe and can start again. Why can't you see that?"

Thorin remained silent and Halien started to feel him coming back, if only for an inkling of a moment. She tried to take that chance to connect to his mind, push her way through the darkness of the dragon sickness and find the Thorin she knew, the Thorin she loved. She pushed through the corridors opening and leading a path through the darkness swirling in his mind and she found him- the Thorin that was locked away by this sickness.

'Thorin, can you hear me?' she called.

Thorin went silent and put a hand to his forehead, stumbling back for a moment. He looked down at Halien and the dwarves and Bilbo saw a glimpse of the old Thorin- the one they knew. 'Halien? By the ancestors, love, I am so sorry...'

Bard looked from Thorin to Halien and saw that Halien was smiling in a brief moment of relief as tears welled in her eyes.

'Oh, little king, I have missed you!' she called back.

'I've been lost, in this strange dark place...' he said, looking at her.

'It's the dragon sickness, little king. It's managed to snake its way into your mind, even through all your efforts to resist its allure.'

Thorin sighed and looked around at their companions. 'Can you connect all of us? I need to apologize...'

Halien nodded. She pushed the perimeter of the connection outwards and felt each of the dwarves and Bilbo join the connection. 'I know this is strange, everyone, but Thorin has a message.'

They all looked at their king, waiting.

'I am sorry, for anything that I have said and done. This darkness clouding my mind, addling my thoughts, I can't fight it for very long before it takes its hold again. I need you to keep me grounded. I cannot lose any of you. Please forgive me.' Thorin said.

The company smiled in a brief moment of relief, but then their faces fell when they felt Thorin slipping away again. The connection broke off and only Halien and Thorin remained connected for a few moments longer.

'Thorin, please fight this!' Halien begged.

Thorin looked helplessly at her. 'I love you, Halien. You are my greatest treasure. If I cannot overcome this, please take our son and start a new life. I cannot bear the thought of hurting you or Frerin. Please, if something happens, I need you to leave Erebor and take our son with you. Stay in Dale, help Bard rebuild.'

Halien shook her head as the darkness pressed against the dimming light of the Thorin she loved. 'Thorin, no, please just keep fighting!'

'I love you, Halien. I love our son. I could not have hoped for a greater life than the one you have given me. If it comes down to you leaving Erebor behind, give Reva to Balin for safekeeping. If I overcome this sickness, I will come for you and our son. I will find you. But if I can't, then you must move on.'

Bard watched as the tears slid down Halien's cheeks and heard her whisper Thorin's name just as the connection was severed and the sickness took hold again.

"Halien?"

The elf maiden turned Torwen around and urged her forward, heading back to Dale. Bard watched as she disappeared into the ruins, only turning back when Thorin summoned him to the broken gate to discuss the terms set before them.

Halien urged Torwen forward, riding hard back to Dale. When they reached the stables, she dismounted from the saddle and handed the reins to one of the stable hands that came with them from Laketown. She told Torwen not to worry and hurried to find Frerin. She needed to hold her son, the only thing that was left of the man she loved.

As she hurried through the ruined streets, trying to locate Sigrid and Tilda, Halien passed by her father's tent. Thranduil was standing just inside of the tent, looking over a map of the plains, when he looked up and saw Halien hurry passed. He could tell she was distraught. Since he saw her a few days earlier for the first time in decades, Thranduil was beginning to wonder if he should have been or could have been a better father to Halien and Legolas. Since their mother died, Thranduil tried to keep his emotions hidden away and ended up becoming a ruthless, cold ruler that showed no compassion for anyone and only did what was in the best interest of his people and his lands. Anything beyond that, he did not care. But seeing Halien and how happy she had become, how emotional- both good and bad- she was around him made him wonder if he could have done things differently. He took a sip of his wine and sighed. He wasn't ready to admit that what she had with Thorin was real, that it wasn't some farce. He couldn't, especially now that Tauriel was showing the same kind of affection towards Kili. He continued to look over the map and waited for Bard to return.

Halien hurried through the streets and finally found Sigrid and Tilda. Bane had gone off to help bring some supplies around, so it was just the girls looking after Frerin. Halien wiped her face and dried her eyes, trying not to show that she had been crying and she smiled at the girls in greeting. When they asked how things went, Halien told them they went as expected and that their father would return shortly.

Sigrid handed her Frerin when she asked to take him and told her he was beginning to get hungry. Halien thanked the girls for watching him and went to find a secluded spot to feed her son. Not long after, Bard came by to check on them and hugged his daughters before asking where Halien was.

"She went to feed Frerin," Sigrid said, pointing in the direction Halien went. "I think she went to the overlook near where the library used to be."

"Thank you, Sigrid."

"Da, Halien was crying. She tried to hide it, but we saw she was crying. Is she OK?" Tilda asked, looking up at her father.

"I do not know. Thorin is very sick and I think it's just really hard for Halien to deal with right now." Bard said. "I'll go check on her for you, though, if you're worried."

Tilda smiled. "We like Halien. We want her to be happy."

Bard kissed her forehead. "I'll make sure she knows that," he said with a smile. "Now I want you to find Bane and get some rest. I'll explain what's going to happen tomorrow later and we'll make the necessary preparations."

Sigrid and Tilda nodded and went to find their brother. Bard's smile faded as he looked off towards the library ruins and sighed. 'I hope she's alright.'